Blooming Stars

Chapter 12

I froze at his words. "Wh-What's wrong?"

He reached out and brushed a hand against the side of my head. I flinched. Did I get something in my hair? I blushed fiercely. The crown prince himself had touched me. Then, something fluttered into my field of view, what appeared to be a white butterfly with a long purple tail. How did that get into the room? Was there a window open?

The butterfly was faintly transparent and glowing.

"What is that?" I asked.

"It's a protector spirit," the prince replied. He watched it, his expression wary. "They were placed here centuries ago by Empress Celina to keep an eye on the library. Stories say the library was her favorite place in the palace, and was she was responsible for taking care of it."

Empress Celina was a beloved empress known for her strength and cunning, but with those who knew her best, she was kind and wise. She was among the greatest empresses who ever lived. She could also use her mana in ways others could not. I stared in awe at the protector spirit. I knew it was a being created from her own soul, and they were like pieces of herself left behind long after her passing.

Another butterfly appeared, and another. "Have we done something to upset them?" I said.

"No, it doesn't look like it. They may have been prompted when we removed the book from the shelf."

Was it a book they wanted to protect? While I was busy watching them, the prince swept a hand across the top of my head. "They are drawn to you."

"Huh? Why?"

"I don't know."

One landed on my arm, and another on the hand that held the book. They felt cool on my skin, like rain in the spring. "They tickle a little."

For some reason the prince didn't like them. He glared at them and kept trying to gently push them away from me.

"Is it normal for them to do this?" I asked. More of the butterflies emerged from between the books on the shelves.

"I don't believe so," said the prince. Then, his eyes widened and his gaze met mine.

"Is something wrong, Your Highness?"

"No," he said, and his face returned to its usual neutrality. "It is very unusual for them to behave this way, but..."

"But...?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing." He gestured to the staircase. "Let's go upstairs."

Upstairs? Why? There were tables and chairs here. But I dared not question the crown prince, and obediently followed him up the stairs. Light filled the room above from a large rectangular skylight in the ceiling. The stained glass fixed in the window showed a mythological story, of two naked figures entwined in each other's arms; two lovers, surrounded by images of nature, with rich greens, purples, pinks, and blues. Dancing deer, rabbits, and birds filled the picture. My face warmed at the sight.

His Highness paused a moment, though I hardly noticed because I was looking at the ceiling. I heard a snap of fingers, and the white ceiling around the window shifted to a sky of drifting white clouds. It looked so real, my breath caught.

This room also had many bookcases in cabinets. There were round tables and comfortable chairs, but everything was neat and tidy like no one had been in the room for a while.

"I come here sometimes to study," His Highness told me. "It's quiet."

This must've been a personal space used only by the imperial family. Again, I felt the weight of the privilege of being there. And I still didn't understand his intentions.

We sat together at one of the tables, side by side, as we opened the book. I couldn't help but blush a little. He was sitting right next to me, the crown prince himself, this very accomplished, intelligent, and capable young man who would someday run our whole empire. It felt unreal for him to acknowledge my existence. And, secretly, I hoped that I could help him somehow. But what abilities did I have that would be useful to him?

I shook those silly thoughts from my mind and tried to concentrate on the book. But with the prince next to me, it was hard to focus. My eyes skimmed the sentences and examined the illustrations. I lost track of time as we turned the pages.

He stood from the table and went to one of the locked cabinets. When he pressed a finger against the edge of one of the doors, a green light flashed, and the door opened. I wondered at this. There did not appear to be a lock on the door. Perhaps only the imperial family could access these cabinets?

As he scanned the shelves, I went back to studying the text. My ears listened as he pulled out books and paged through them. I wanted to ask what he was looking for.

It wasn't long before I reached the end of the book. Even though the book was short, my notebook was almost out of paper by the time I finished. When I closed the cover, I glanced up at a clock on the wall. What had felt like a whole day had only been about one hour. My poor maid Minerva was probably worried about me.

I looked back at His Highness. Under his arm he held two books, and in his hands was another. A puzzled look fixed on his face as he read it. Then, he saw me staring and quickly shut the book. His puzzlement vanished.